Charles Theodore Dotter - The father of intervention

The 1st percutaneous transluminal angioplasty marked a new era in the treat ment of peripheral atherosclerotic lesions. The early techniques used in pe ripheral percutaneous transluminal angioplasty form the basis for subsequen t percutaneous intervention both in the peripheral and coronary arteries an d are largely the contribution of Charles Dotter. Dotter was the 1st to des cribe flow-directed balloon catheterization, the double-lumen balloon cathe ter, the safety guidewire, percutaneous arterial stenting, and more. This p ractical genius dedicated his considerable energy to the belief that there is always a better way to treat disease. His personal contributions to clin ical medicine, research, and teaching have saved millions of limbs and live s all over the world.